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You’ve just moved into your nice new home. You’ve unloaded the boxes and started to unpack your life. Right now is the perfect time to walk through a new homeowner checklist of ways to save money on your home for years to come. Starting on these homeownership tips as early as possible will allow you […]

The post 19 Things a New Homeowner Should Do Immediately to Save Money appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

When people ask how to build credit, the “chicken or the egg” conundrum often comes up. Having a solid credit history and credit score are important parts of your financial future. Here’s the problem: To get a loan for a house or car, you need to show a history of responsible use and payment of credit. However, in order to show credit history, you need a loan.

So how do you get a your first loan without any credit history? The answer is usually a credit card.

Although that might sound like an impossible position to be in, you can start to build your credit inch by inch with the right credit card or secured loan. It might take some effort in the beginning, but building a positive credit history is something that can pay off handsomely down the road.

Before we talk about how to build a positive credit history from scratch, let’s first define a few important terms and talk about why your credit history is so important.

Photo: Adrian Roth/USDA

This summer, my family and I are going to be camping in northern Wisconsin for several days. We plan on camping at two different locations during the trip so that we get a chance to see and enjoy two completely different areas.

Small camping trips are a staple of our summer – we usually camp two or three times within a couple hours of our home. Large camping trips, like our trip to Wisconsin, are the centerpieces of our summer every other year or so.

For many people, the thought of a multi-day camping excursion sounds amazing and it’s something that they do all the time.

For others, the thought of such an excursion sounds like a nightmare and they’d rather do almost anything else.

To reach long-term financial health, start with attainable, short-term goals with an immediate payoff — like selling anything in your closet that you haven’t used in a year or more. Photo: Meagan Tintari

When I look back at my personal finance progress, I’m most proud of the long-term success. The changes that have happened in my life over the last several years have been absolutely incredible, and I feel a strong sense of personal pride when I think about it.

Here’s the kicker, though: if I flip the tables and put myself back there in 2006, my financial state today wouldn’t have been a really inspiring goal.